


Musings of a First Mate

by lautitiaspero



Category: One Piece
Genre: Feels, Gen, Luffy brings hope, Nostalgia, Rayleigh never quite gets over Roger's death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:43:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lautitiaspero/pseuds/lautitiaspero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rayleigh thinks about Kings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Musings of a First Mate

**Author's Note:**

> This had been long time coming. I can't imagine what Rayleigh felt when his captain died. I hope you like it.

It hadn’t really gotten any easier even after all those years. The love he had felt for his former captain would always be there mixed with loyalty and understanding that he never quite had been able to explain. 

Gol D. Roger, after all, had not been a normal man.

Rayleigh had loved him, had believed in him, had watched him become the Pirate King. 

He had watched him die.

Executed.

He could have done something, but his captain had told him not to and the captain’s word was law.

After that fateful day he had helped Rouge escape. She had been the dearest thing to his captain and Rayleigh tried to make sure that at least she would come out of this mess without a scratch. He failed there too. Rouge died and their son went into Monkey D. Garp’s hands. Garp, Rayleigh knew, was not a bad man. Though an enemy to Roger, he had always been an honest man and would at least watch out for the Pirate King’s only child.

That didn’t mean Rayleigh hadn’t failed.

And then, decades later, said son was on another execution platform, but this time some of the world’s strongest were there to save him. Through video transporter snails Rayleigh watched on Sabaody Archipelago how a kid, who had not long ago lost his crew on the same island he was now on, did anything to save his older brother. Monkey D. Dragon’s son, Garp’s grand-son. Brother to one Portgas D. Ace not through blood, but through bond. 

It was the same kid who had said he would be the next Pirate King.

On his sides fought Whitebeard’s men and many fugitives who he had freed on his rampage through Impel Town. 

Rayleigh watched as the young man freed his brother, watched as they fought together identical messy black hair flowing around them. They seemed to have fun if the big grins on their faces were anything to go by. Not that they were alright. No, Luffy looked to be on the verge of falling and Ace’s eyes reflected the pain of indirectly causing his oyaji’s death.

They were together, though, and that seemed to be the only thing that mattered.

Then Ace got caught in a trap of his own pride.

When Luffy finally collapsed Rayleigh felt like crying. He saw what was coming before Ace could even move. It had been such a Roger-like move.

Then Ace was dying and after speaking quietly to the older man Luffy set his brother’s dead body down and cried. When the young rookie Trafalgar Law took Luffy away and Shanks returned Roger’s hat, the King’s crown, to Luffy, Rayleigh too took off towards the Isle of Women. 

Both he and the young King had lost so much on that day, but the first mate of the Pirate King knew that if he wanted to see a new King crowned he would have to help.

So he went and taught the young man to use his haki. 

After another two years he saw them again. On Sabaody Archipelago the crew of the new Pirate King met again and set sail for New World.

It hadn’t really gotten any easier even after all those years. The love and loyalty and understanding for Gol D. Roger were still there. He still felt like drowning of grief in most days.

But now he also saw hope. 

The familiar Straw Hat on familiar black hair, carried on by the Will of D. 

Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Ace were dead, as was darling Rouge, but Monkey D. Luffy would become the next Pirate King and that was enough.

Rayleigh was sure his dead friends were waiting, but they could wait a little longer. Things had gotten interesting and Rayleigh wanted to see the new King crowned before he followed Roger. He didn’t want to see another execution anyways.

He couldn’t help but smile when he saw the Straw Hats back together though.

The weird captain with a straw hat and smile so wide it looked unnatural.

It was fitting for a King.


End file.
